EDITORIAL: Michigan residents should vote 'no' on proposal 6

Michigan voters are being subjected to a barrage of advertising that is designed to scuttle plans for the new bridge to Canada.

Don't be fooled by the ads.

Governor Rick Snyder made the right choice last summer when he signed an agreement with the Canadian government to build the new bridge across the Detroit river. The older Ambassador Bridge barely manages to handle the current traffic flows.

The construction of the bridge and is all about Michigan's future. The trade between the U.S. and Canada is bound to grow in the years to come and new bridge proposed by Governor Snyder and Canadian Prime Minister cross-border traffic promises to grow as both economies expand. If the bridge isn't built, Michigan's future economic development could be left to wither on the vine as the cross-border traffic is forced to go elsewhere.

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As it stands the Canadians clearly see the need for an new Detroit River Crossing, which is why they are willing to put up the bulk of the money required for the river crossing. Building the bridge also provides a welcome stimulus - not to mention jobs - for the local economy during construction.

But on the Michigan side of the border the overwhelming case in favor of he new bridge has been obscured at time by the distorted picture present by the project's foes, which are led by the owners of the Ambassador Bridge.

Matty Moroun, the owner of the bridge, wants to preserve the monopoly his family and his company have enjoyed for decades and has gone to great lengths to erect obstacles in the way of any new bridge that would be beyond his control.

First he enlisted the support of Kwame Kilpatrick, then Mayor of Detroit, to oppose the any new bridge.

When the case for the new bridge nevertheless continued to gain support in Michigan, Moroun built connections to Republican-conrolled state legislature to try and derail the new bridge.

Ultimately, because of the support Moroun had lined up in opposition to the bridge among key lawmakers in Lansing, Snyder elected to ground the legislature and work directly with the Canadian officials at both the provincial and federal level.

Besides being bad for the state, the bridge proposal, Proposal 6 on the Ballot, was also deliberately designed to confuse voters. A yes vote actually could stop construction of the bridge. Thus, we urge all voters to vote "no" on proposal 6.

The state of Michigan and the Detroit Metropolitan area need a new bridge. No ad blitz paid for a b a billionaire, seeking to keep his monopoly should undermine the region and the state's economic future, which will be significant brighter if the bridge is built.